


some nights i wish that my lips could build a castle

by HaloRocks1214



Series: you wouldn't believe the most amazing things that can come from some terrible lies [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: ALSO: tubbo is really only here for one scene in the middle, ALWAYS assume my technoblade is a piglin unless stated otherwise lmao :dab:, Angst, Blood, Crying, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Injury, No Beta We Die Like Wilbur in Skyblockle, Platonic Affection, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Older Brothers, Resurrection, Sacrifice, Self-Esteem Issues, Suicide Attempt, Temporary Character Death, Twins Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, and i wanted to explore it just a lil bit, but dont worry nothing is permanent, but just like tommy he got dat, in the form of, no major character death here folks only, not really 'graphic depictions of violence' but i get a little descriptive here and there, pulling deus ex machinas and made up rituals out of my ass for that sweet sweet family dynamic, talked about for roughly a paragraph or two, technoblade is an entire piglin here but its not too important to the plot this time, toms goes Thru It like he always does :pensive:
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29222178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaloRocks1214/pseuds/HaloRocks1214
Summary: some nights i wish they could just fall offbut i still wake up, i still see your ghostoh, lord, im still not sure what i stand for, ohwhat do i stand for? what do i stand for?most nights, i dont know anymore...Technoblade would like to preface this by saying he's only helping because he wants to know why this Ghostbur is being a jackass, not because he still cares about Tommy or anything.
Relationships: Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: you wouldn't believe the most amazing things that can come from some terrible lies [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151435
Comments: 53
Kudos: 365
Collections: Cheshire's MCYT recs!





	some nights i wish that my lips could build a castle

Phil had taken Ranboo out somewhere the day previously, so Techno was alone when he heard rapid knocking on his door before even more rapid footsteps ran off.

He rushed to the door to fling it open, only to find no human or mob or any kind of living creature on the other side. He almost pinched the bridge of his nose- did he seriously get ding dong ditched in the middle of the _Arctic-_ but when he tilted his head down to do perform the action, he noticed a tarp-covered lump, loosely wrapped with rope and a small piece of paper sticking off of it.

Looking at it with mild amusement, the piglin bent over to pick it up, quickly grabbing the note before it could fly off. He grabbed it in a way that displayed the chicken scratch for the world to see: 

**when wilbr gets baok tell hIm im sorrry**

It was very clearly rushed if the written typos were any indication. Not to mention the almost illegible handwriting. Small stained splotches dotted the paper, and Techno can, unfortunately, tell they’re tear stains due to personal experience.

Blinking a few times, Techno nauseatingly looked towards the present in his arms. Shoving the note in his pocket, he carefully unwrapped the rope off the sack. Whatever he was expecting was the wrong answer, because when the rope came off, the object freely rolled out of his grasp due to him holding it wrong.

It made a rather loud _clang_ as it landed, and after flinching and closing his eyes momentarily in subconscious defense to the noise, Techno eventually looked down at it. He hated to admit the sight made him even more confused (he would hate to admit that it filled him with minor fear as well).

On the ground was _The Axe of Peace._ Original version and everything. Seriously, Techno would remember that weapon from anywhere and at any time, but he didn’t know _why_ it was left outside his door. Last he heard, Sapnap had it and refused to give it back, and Sapnap had no idea where this house was. The only way it could have ended up back here was if someone took it back that also knew this location, which fit the bill of one blond traitor perfectly. The Butcher Army would most likely be obliterated if they tried fighting Sapnap, Ranboo gave him a new one, and Phil wanted nothing to do with anyone out there. 

So what the frick was Tommy doing dropping this off like that?

Also, what in the world did Wilbur coming back have to do with it?

Stepping out onto the porch with the axe in his hands, he looked out over the field to see some hastily placed footprints in the snow, abruptly ending halfway to the forest. Either Tommy vanished out of thin air or the kid ender pearled. Shrugging his shoulders, Techno turned around to head back inside. Clearly, Tommy didn’t want to talk in person again, and the piglin wasn’t going to be the one to force something he didn’t want either. 

So what if their last interaction turned out to be more positive than either of them expected, that doesn’t mean he’s going to start leaping for the stars every time-

The sound of his kitchen cabinet opening and a plate being loudly picked up made him freeze.

Clutching the axe closer to himself, Techno quieted his footsteps as he made his way to the potential offender. As far as he was concerned, Tommy had placed the axe in front of his door as a distraction and proceeded to ender pearl around his house to try and sneak in. Really, why would Techno expect anything different from the kid at this point?

As soon as he got to the door, Techno took a deep breath, silently grabbed the doorknob, and proceeded to shove it open with undeniable anger, “Tommy you little-”

And immediately shut up at the sight of a not-Tommy. The man that was in his house was taller, brunette instead of blond, and also very much _floating_ off the ground.

There was only one person on the server that fit this, “Ghostbur?”

Except he kind of wasn’t either.

This Ghostbur still wore his trademark beanie, but what was once a bright yellow jumper was now his familiar warn down trench coat. The man had grabbed one of his plates and was inspecting it with a judging eye, “You know, Techno, your taste in fine china sucks dick.”

Techno was completely flabbergasted. Genuinely, he did not have enough words to describe what he was feeling, “... Wilbur?”

Whoever the ghost was, he simply shrugged his shoulders and placed the plate back on the stack he grabbed it from, “I’m Ghostbur, I’m Alivebur, I’m a little bit of both, and yet neither of them at all…” He shut the cabinet door, turned around to lean on it, and crossed his arms, “I guess you can just call me ‘Aliveghostbur’.”

Alrighty, Techno at least had to say something to _that,_ “No, I refuse.”

‘Aliveghostbur’ sputtered, “What? It’s perfect!”

Techno placed the axe on his waist as he walked past his still somewhat dead pseudo-brother, “Not even close.”

Aliveghostbur threw his arms up for dramatic effect, “You’re just upset you have to speak more than three syllables in a sentence!”

Techno brought his hoof up to object, then brought it down again in defeat, “You know what, maybe you’re ri- buh buh buh we’re getting off _track_ here.” Techno placed his hands on his hips and stared at the ghost with an almost glare, “First of all, why are you like _this?_ And second, why are you even _here?_ ”

Aliveghostbur stopped in his tracks for only a second before scoffing, “Wow, what a warm reception. I thought you would be _happy_ to see me.”

Techno sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “To be honest, deep down I _am,_ but it’s not every day someone switches personalities in between seeing them, also, right before you showed up, I got a very peculiar package.”

That made the apparition tilt his head, “Oh? What was it?”

Glossing over the fact that Ghostbur was no longer Ghostbur to his great displeasure, Techno took the Axe of Peace back out and held it in front of him so, ugh, _Aliveghostbur_ could see it. Techno stood taut as if he was confessing to committing some awful crime, ”This is the original Axe of Peace, one of my favorite weapons. I thought I would never get it back but I guess I’ve been surprised once more by Tommy.”

Aliveghostbur floated down and placed his feet flat against the floor, “‘Surprised once more’?”

Techno placed the axe back in his belt before sighing, “I didn’t think Tommy would steal it from me, and I especially didn’t think he would give it back even though he said he would. I expected even less for him to leave a cryptic note along with it.”

Aliveghostbur momentarily widened his eyes before holding his hand out, clearly saying without speaking, _Give the note to me and let me see it._

Techno appeared to be sighing a lot tonight. Regardless, he did what Aliveghostbur requested of him and watched as the twin-aged man read it with growing confusion, “Uh, but I’m right here?”

Techno had to agree with that at least, “Yeah, even more so than last time I saw you. I’m pretty sure the kid ran off and ender pearled away, though, so it’s no skin off my back if he doesn’t want to do more. I got everything I need.”

Whatever cocky bravado Aliveghostbur had completely dissipated at Techno’s apathy, “Wh- Don’t you want to know what this means? Why would he just drop something really important like that off and vanish super uncharacteristically?”

Techno momentarily stopped at the panicked tones behind Wilbur’s voice. The piglin had to admit that it was enough to get him worried, “I’m not saying you’re wrong exactly, but Tommy clearly doesn’t want me involved with it. That’s fine by me at the end of the day, I got more important things to work on.”

Techno started walking out to go to his basement when Aliveghostbur floated after him, “Hey- hey! My brother left a cryptic ‘I’m sorry’ message and you’re just going to brush it off like it doesn’t matter?”

Techno tried waving him off, throwing his hand up near his shoulder so the ghost could see it, “Again, Tommy was the one who ran. Not me.”

Techno didn’t need to turn around to tell Aliveghostbur was getting heated. He was going to ignore him until he heard the ghost stamp his foot down and proclaim, “I’ll tell you why I’m back if you help me chase down Tommy!”

Techno had his hoof on a bag of seeds when he froze. “... You know why?” he asked without turning around.

Aliveghostbur nodded his head despite not being looked at, “Yep. I’ve been back for a while now, gives the man time to think about his existence and whatnot. I’m completely willing to bring my knowledge to the grave, though- well, more into the grave than I already am.”

Techno brought the hoof that was originally touching the seeds to his mouth and started biting the tip of it nervously. On the one hand, as much as he wanted Wilbur back he didn’t _need_ to know shit. They would reach their goal eventually. On the other, he honestly _did_ want Wilbur back on a level that was painful, on a level that almost rivaled Phil even. The more he knew about how Ghostbur and ‘Aliveghostbur’ and everything in between could exist the quicker they could reach fully resurrecting him.

_It’s an excuse to check up on Tommy you know,_ an extremely tiny whisper dinged at the back of his head.

… Uuuuuuuuuuugh, fine.

Closing the chest and pushing himself up on his knees, Techno brushed off the front of his shirt once he was standing and turned around to finally look at Aliveghostbur, “Alright, fine, I’ll help look for Tommy, and then once we find the annoying gremlin being his annoying self you’ll tell me why you’re being a prick again.”

Aliveghostbur clapped his hands, “Wonderful! Now we just need to know where to start looking.”

Techno crossed his arms, “Really? You’re his brother that desperately wants to find him and you don’t even know where to _start?_ Haven’t you talked to the kid at all since you’ve been like this?”

Wilbur smiled at the piglin in a way that said he knew something the non-human didn’t, “Well, yeah I’ve talked to him once or twice, but I haven’t in a little bit, been exploring some places and all that, but if there’s anything I can count on, there’s definitely somebody who _has_ talked to him more recently, though.”

Techno felt the blood drain from his snout and his ears droop due to the realization of who they were going to visit, “Oh no.”

Aliveghostbur’s grin was mischievous, and if Techno didn’t know any better the giggles the brunette let out would make you think they were back in Pogtopia, “Oh you betcha my dear twin. Time to make a road trip to a little winter wonderland called Snowchester!”

\---

“Here it is,” Aliveghostbur stated as he lead the piglin where they needed to go; Carl tied to the nearest tree in the area to wait for them to be done.

Even Techno had to admit it was an okay place. Tubbo knew how to decorate, and the size was very efficient. Not too big so they got lost, but not too small so they never ran out of room to include things, so props to Tubbo. He might be a filthy government but he at least knew how to style properly.

Techno always appreciated a nice style.

Aliveghostbur led him to a bigger building compared to the others here, and before Techno knew it, the ghost pushed open the door and floated inside. Following him and walking into the main area, Techno heard a voice talking to someone in another room get louder and louder, and right as he blinked, Tubbo walked in laughing and looking back at whoever he was bouncing his chatter off of. The government stopped once he was situated in his new location, and when he turned around and saw the two visitors, he jumped just a little bit.

“Oh! Hellooooo- ooh.” Tubbo began enthusiastically at the sight of Aliveghostbur, but immediately froze when he saw Techno behind the apparition. “Oh, hello to you too, Technoblade!”

Aliveghostbur smiled fondly at the kid before floating past him, “Hey, Tubs, do you mind if I look around at Tommy’s things? I know he doesn’t stay here, but I know he agreed to keep a stash of items just in case for emergencies.”

Tubbo nodded his head brightly, “Sure thing! Just make sure it looks the same as before you messed with it. I don’t think Tommy will care too much but it doesn’t hurt to be nice.”

Aliveghostbur’s grin only seemed to get wider, “Of course. Thanks, Tubbo.”

Once Wilbur was out of the room, Tubbo and Techno stood awkwardly next to one another. Thankfully, Tubbo finally broke the silence and not him, “Sooooo what brings you to Snowchester? Other than needing to momentarily ransack my best friend’s stuff.”

The piglin didn’t care nor want to dig into why the kid froze after seeing him, and the only excuse he will say he had was because they were more focused on other things. Like the _other_ missing kid they came to ask about, “We just were looking around. Maybe ask a few questions. I don’t suppose you’ve seen Tommy recently?”

Tubbo blinked and brightened instantaneously at his friend’s name, “Oh, yeah I did! A few hours ago we went and played in the snow for a little bit. Jack got absolutely dunked on which was pretty funny.”

Technoblade glanced over to his right when he heard the loud grumblings of another person. He could only assume that was Jack. From what it sounded like, Techno didn’t blame him a little bit, “Riiiiiight, anyway, do you know if he planned anything spectacular afterward? Something… drastic?”

Techno knew he should have come up with a better word, but he couldn’t really find anything else that worked, and now he had to suffer through the slight worry and fear that formed in the boy’s eyes, “What? I mean, not that I’m aware of. I know he went to visit Dream like he usually does, but that hasn’t caused any problems before, or at least, not any more than usual.”

Tubbo gripped his chin with his right thumb and pointer finger innocently, making Techno very aware of some uncomfortable truths of the matter. Still, he could worry about that last sentence when Tommy was back, “Yeah, Wilbur and I just were wondering… you good, there?”

Tubbo blinked, his eyes slightly blank and minor trembles racking his body, “I’m fine! Seriously, we gotta focus on Tommy, and if there’s anyone who can help it’s definitely you, so thank you!”

Techno raised an eyebrow in minor amusement. The kid wasn’t the best at hiding his emotions at the moment, “Uh-huh, because your trembles are clearly from the fact you’re vibrating in excitement to see me, nothing else.”

The brunette immediately stopped shaking, and before Techno could focus on that, he watched to see Tubbo widen his eyes to the extreme, his pupils involuntarily shrink, and one of his hands move to softly lay on his face, almost covering all the scars that blanketed the entire bridge of his nose and some of the area surrounding his eyes. Techno blinked, feeling a weird, negative emotion in his chest before Tubbo realized what he was doing, laughed, and shook whatever episode that was off.

“Hah, sorry, my brain just likes to be meaner on certain days compared to others,” Tubbo apologized. The ex-government cleared his throat before bringing his hands down and crossing them behind himself around his lower back area, “I do like talking to you. You’re pretty funny and have opinions on things I would’ve never considered- considering your age and species- so please ignore me when I get like this. It usually goes away the next day.”

Techno is familiar with PTSD, like, on a level that is extraordinarily uncomfortable (Phil once mentioned the term ‘unhealthy’ but Techno digressed). He may not greatly enjoy the kid’s presence anymore, but he’s not a jackass. He knows repression isn’t something he’d wish on anyone, “You sure about that? I know I’m a fairly big guy, I can easily go search instead and you can have more fun conversations with Wilbur.”

Tubbo quickly brought his hands up and motioned in a way that said _hang on I’m not done,_ “Wait! I know it’s hard to believe that I don’t hold it against you, especially when I act like, well-” the brunette gestured to himself, “this. But I really don’t. My brain just… likes to focus on the two times you shot rockets at me, even when I don’t want it to. Which I basically don’t want all the time. I just wasn’t sure how to approach you, considering I probably don’t hold your highest regards all that much, you know?”

Techno was not equipped to deal with that in the slightest. He swallowed some spit that formed in his mouth. It trailed down his throat as if he ate a rock instead, “Yeah, that sounds sucky.”

Tubbo shrugged his shoulders as if it were a minor inconvenience, “Well, at least I’m alive and here to stay. The nukes are coming along fantastically, and Snowchester is right upon its time of year where the temps drop as low as they can get. That's what the weather machines predicted, though, they could be wrong.”

_Think think think what’s appropriate small talk for a child that just admitted they’re making nuclear weapons,_ “Right, my place gets colder around this time. Sucks for my turtle farm, but the heating system I’ve made hasn’t broken yet, so.”

Tubbo chuckled at Techno’s lame attempt at being relatable. Techno doesn’t know if it’s better or worse that he can tell the kid’s laughter was genuine. Before anything else could be said, Tubbo turned around and waved Techno goodbye, “Welp! I gotta go get the bees inside their little hut. When you find Tommy, tell him I found those flower seeds he was looking for right after he left. Goodbye Technoblade!” And with that, the kid left the room to the outside world and the door was shut.

Techno found himself forlornly staring at it, “... Bye, Tubbo.”

Aliveghostbur came back holding a small journal in the middle of the piglin’s staring contest with the inanimate object, “Hey, I found something. It’s a journal labeled “Green Bitch Boi Report” and since I overheard Tubbo mention that Tommy visited Dream before coming to you I figured he maybe had something to do with it. Now we have a chance to figure out what the fuck is going on… Techno?”

Techno blinked out of his stupor, “Yeah, let’s read the damn book and get this over with.”

\---

**Day 3: Dream is being as bitchy and cryptic as ever. Can’t really report anything else.**

**Day 4: Lmaooooo green boi sat on his cauldron again but this time fell in, what a nerd.**

Techno was getting incredibly bored yet he was only five seconds in.

This journal had repeatedly told them nothing, just shown them that Tommy was exasperated at Dream’s antics in prison. Which, fair, but it wasn’t exactly helpful to what they were looking for. Aliveghostbur eventually groaned out enough frustration for the both of them, “Our one chance to figure out where the gremlin ran off to and it has nothing?!”

Techno was glad for his complaint because it finally allowed his brain to get into Voice Of Reason Mode, “Hang on, we’re only a few days in and it’s a pretty big journal, let’s keep going. We won’t know how much is filled out until we get to the end.”

Aliveghostbur grumbled and crossed his arms but relented. Techno had a point. He handed the thing fully over to the piglin so he could be in charge of flipping the pages. Techno glared at the ghost briefly but rolled his eyes when he realized he should have expected this. Aliveghostbur went and situated himself behind Techno’s left shoulder before they continued.

**Day 5: God, he tried pulling the whole ‘I’m sad and lonely’ card again. I wonder how much of it’s not an act. Not that he doesn’t deserve it, but this place is kinda spooky.**

**Day 6: Nevermind, he had to get Sam involved because he decided to try and freak me out. Started saying shit like ‘drop your armor’ and whatnot. Sam didn’t need to step in but at least I don’t have to write anything else for today because of it.**

“That _bastard’s_ lucky he’s in jail,” Aliveghostbur growled out. Techno simply took a deep breath and clenched the edges of the cover roughly instead of ripping the entire journal in half. Carl whinnied from where he was hanging out, most likely in response to his owner’s growing rage, and Techno nodded to himself. Glad to see Carl was still the smartest out of all of them. 

Alivegshotbur scoffed, “I still don’t know why you brought him. We could have had a fun time just walking and floating together but noooooo I wanted to ride my dumb horse like the big brave and valiant knight I was always meant to be!”

Techno gripped the journal in one hand and tried smacking Aliveghostbur with it, only to fail as his whole arm phased through his undead brother. Techno felt himself groan, “You can’t just turn not-corporeal to escape the consequences of your dumb words!”

Aliveghostbur stuck his tongue out immaturely, “Oh I absolutely can. It’s not like you can do anything about it!”

Sighing, Techno looked back at the journal to realize they were on a page turn. He thought it was going to be very simple, just go to the next one and keep reading, but instead, he almost jumped at the drastic change in tone.

The page to the right was completely torn out, and the backside of the one they just finished reading had scribbles that got progressively more chicken scratchy. The handwriting was almost the exact same as the one on the note Techno received from Tommy earlier. His free hoof crept down to grip the upper handle of the axe on his waist he still had on him.

**Day 7: HAHAHAHA OH MY GOD DREAM’S SO STUPID**

**He expected me to be the stupid dumb child everyone thinks I am but I’m nooooot**

**He thinks he pulled a fast one over me by taunting Sam and thinking I wouldn’t pick up on the hidden message but OHOHOHOHOH IS THE GREEN BOI AS SUCKY AS EVER**

**I know where the book is  
I know where the book is  
I know where the book is  
hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe**

Raising his brow slightly, Techno pondered on what could have gotten Tommy so elated after not only being bored for multiple days but almost also getting sent into a panic attack by the same man who did the boring himself. Whatever it was had to have been on the next page, seeing as there’s no room left on the Day 7 one, but as noted previously, the next one is missing.

That’s when the piglin remembered a technique Ranboo showed him.

Pulling out a small piece of coal, Techno ignored Aliveghostbur’s _“Hey what are you-”_ as he lightly rubbed the empty page that was once beneath the ripped out one and watched as the invisible words slowly formed in front of him. Aliveghostbur made a noise of understanding before cutting it off immediately, in fear almost. So he read the same thing Techno did.

** RESURRECTION RITUAL **

Techno glanced over the crossed out **ITEM LIST:**

**~~potion of strength~~ so easy to brew a baby could do it asleep  
~~wither skull~~ guess i had to steal from techno one more time :(  
~~totem of undying~~ HOLY SHIT SORRY TUBBO IDK HOW YOU GOT IT BUT YOULL THANK ME LATER  
~~item(s) of importance to the passed~~ ahaha and everyone called this coat shitty**

Then he jumped straight to the actual **PROCESS:**

**1\. set the items up in the way the picture shows  
2\. proceed to trade your chosen living life for the dead one by giving up your life force- note: probably is like blood or something ~~unless it wants you to piss in it hah~~  
3\. wait a few seconds and then proceed to drain the potion and let it naturally mix with your life force  
4\. once the living life has been fully transferred, the ritual will finish on its own  
5\. welcome your dead back to this plane of existence**

Techno wanted it to be simple. Tommy found how to revive his older brother and was going to perform the ritual. Sure, he needed to give up a life to do it, but even Tommy wasn’t dumb enough to do it without help. Tommy offhandedly mentioned to Techno that he was on one life, so he wouldn’t be rash about it, right?

A flash of Tommy’s dark and empty eyes the kid had when he was first staying at Techno’s cabin appeared briefly in his mind, and the piglin knew deep down that Tommy most likely planned to do the whole thing himself. 

The world might have well disappeared from underneath Techno and swallowed him whole. From the way Aliveghostbur got even _more_ pale, Techno could assume the ghost felt the same way, “Wha- how could he… Techno we have to stop him. He’s- he’s only on one life… oh my god, he’s going to _kill_ himself.”

_One of Tubbo’s nukes hitting me right now would be stellar._ Techno stood up, feeling even more off-balance despite the fact he was standing ramrod still. A ringing noise filled his ears and he hated it with the fury of a thousand suns, “But- but we have no idea where he’s _doing_ it. It’s not my place or Snowchester, he left both of those, so where-”

“The Button Room in L’Manberg!” Aliveghostbur pointed out, literally pointing in the direction of L’Canyon. “We recreated it when Phil and Eret tried reviving me! Tommy showed up for a little bit and saw us there so _he knows about it,_ he has to be there!”

Techno shoved the journal into his pouch before practically leaping onto Carl and just chopping the lead off, leaving it tied to the tree. He spurred his companion forward with a gentle but firm prod of his heels. He felt kind of bad about racing his horse at this speed after not doing it for so long, but hopefully, the pile of apples he has waiting at home would be apology enough.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Aliveghostbur floating next to him, moving almost as a torpedo would. He kept up with Techno pretty decently as well, enough so he could yell to him and Techno could hear, “From what I remember, the Button Room is rough-”

Suddenly, Aliveghosbtur yelped and dropped out of his vision. Forcing Carl to do a rather abrupt heel turn, Techno looked back to see Aliveghosbur on the ground, his hands and knees digging into the snow. The look on his face was pure terror, his words practically a whisper, “Oh my god he’s actually doing it.”

It was at this moment with dawning horror that Techno realized that the ghost was even more transparent than before, “Wilbur, you-”

“ _GO!_ ” Aliveghostbur screamed, reminding Techno of the true goal. “Forget about me! Get to Tommy before he…”

Techno wasn’t sure if it was the fact that he was already turned back around and pushing Carl to his maximum speed or if Aliveghostbur had completely faded, but Techno could only focus on one thing outside of his brother’s slowly getting more silent voice.

_Tommy, I knew you were dumb but this is a whole new level of stupid._

_Just stay alive, dumbass. I don’t feel like rescuing a dead body._

\--- 

The first thing Technoblade was going to do when Alivebur came back was dance an _I told you so_ dance on him.

If he didn’t bring Carl there was no chance he would’ve made it back to L’Canyon as quickly as he did. Looking out over the expansive hole, what was once something that gave Techno pride in his abilities, was now something he wished he failed at or at least didn’t do as good of a job at decimating. There were so many places that mysterious ‘Button Room’ could be at, and Techno didn’t have time to search. Hell, even with Carl helping him he might have taken too long to get-

The sound of glass breaking made Techno jerk so hard that the reigns in his hooves forced Carl to look in the same direction. Jumping off his trusty steed, Techno found himself uncharacteristically praying that this wasn’t just a fluke, that the glass was actually from another living being and not the wind wanting to fuck him over-

Oh thank God, Techno had never been happier to see a L’manberg flag against a wall in his _life._

Good thing: Tommy was there.

Bad thing: Tommy was bleeding profusely from somewhere based on red splotches Techno could see around him.

Good thing: Tommy was still _alive._ A broken potion bottle near his knees had definitely been the noise earlier, and Tommy could only throw that if he were awake to do it. The only issue is that it didn’t look like a splash one, so did Tommy drop the empty glass after he emptied it?

Agh, Techno, stop thinking and focus on the other bad thing: Tommy wouldn’t _stay_ alive if Techno didn’t hurry up-

Jumping down and making haste, Techno was soon behind an oblivious Tommy. The piglin could only guess blood loss was making him more and more unaware of his surroundings. Coming up right behind him, Techno could see the blonde swaying. Before anything else, before Techno could think too hard about how Tommy’s other arm that wasn’t bleeding was clutching a bloody knife, he was right next to the smaller boy and wrapping his arms around Tommy in a way that prevented the boy from hurting Techno or himself.

The kid immediately started struggling. Techno wasn’t aware someone this drowsy could scream this loud-

“ _NO!_ LET ME GO LET ME GO I’M TRYING TO _FIX_ THIS LET ME _GO-_ ”

The struggles died pretty quickly. Tommy was already kind of weak from other things ( _and who’s fault was that Techno?_ a nagging voice whispered from his mind), and the blood loss on top of it certainly didn’t help in his favor. He was soon out like a light. Techno quickly but gently set the boy down and reached for both a health potion and a regen potion.

He used one hoof to tilt Tommy’s head up and the other to slowly pour the liquid into the boy’s mouth. He did this for both potions and then sat back, watching the ~~pale~~ ~~ghostly~~ ~~_dead_~~ knocked out boy lay still. Techno started unconsciously biting his lip, the tips of his hooves digging into his palms, and he was about to let a tear finally fall because of his failure before Tommy started coughing aggressively, turning over and clutching his injured arm.

Oh, right, Techno should probably fix that.

Pulling some bandages from his pouch-like he did the potions previously, he crawled over to the still slightly incapacitated Tommy to check out his potential injuries. Techno was somehow continuously achieving unbelievable amounts of luck because when he carefully grabbed the boy’s arm the kid simply just groaned into the ground. He didn’t fight back like Techno expected.

Moving quickly, Techno skimmed over the injury to see that it would need more than bandages. Thankful for his forgetfulness for once, he remembered he left some quick healing salve in his pouch as well that he wanted to take out at some point but forgot to and immediately went to grab it. With the bandages set down temporarily, Techno used a generous amount and meticulously covered the long gash Tommy had given himself.

… He gave it to himself. The wound was deep, and Techno took a ridiculously fast inhale and exhale to not have to focus on the fact that Tommy definitely performed this action without a chance of coming back. Getting the bandages again, Techno swiftly wrapped Tommy’s arm tightly, and once the deed was done, Techno let go of the limb for Tommy to clutch to himself again in a vague attempt to protect it.

It was almost a minute. An extremely tense minute where Techno sat and waited for Tommy to get up at his own pace. In that minute, Techno was able to look over the shrine thing-y Tommy had prepared for the ritual. In the middle of a circle of flower petals was a bowl set atop Wilbur’s Pogtopia trench coat and beanie filled with two different shades of red. One was more of a purplish maroon, and the other was something Techno quickly looked away from lest he wanted to throw up. To get his mind off of _that,_ he focused on the objects sitting in the mixture of liquid; it was a wither skull clutching a Totem of Undying in its jaw. 

Nevermind, despite greatly enjoying withers himself, Techno thought that was somehow worse than thinking about how Tommy almost bled himself dry-

Suddenly, Techno watched Tommy slowly sit up and look around with blank eyes, confused about where he was. It was as if Tommy took an extra long nap that he just woke up from rather than the horrifying reality that he essentially attempted suicide. 

What felt like an unreasonably long amount of time for Tommy to wake, it felt like an unreasonably short amount of time for Tommy to realize he was still alive and where the knife he previously used was laying. Techno couldn’t even blink as a terrified look came across the blond’s face as he shot over to try and grab the weapon once more.

Right as his fingers graced the handle, Techno found himself wrapping his huge arms around Tommy, this time completely restricting the boy so all he could do was try and kick aggressively. He was speaking and snarling again, but he wasn’t yelling anymore, so Techno considered it a win.

“No no stop it you _fucker_ it was going to _work_ why are you _doing this_ it’s the least I can do- it’s everything you’ve ever _wanted-_ ”

And at that, Techno roughly turned Tommy around and wrapped his arms around the boy once more in less an attempt at restriction and more an attempt at showing him something. Whatever that emotion was, Techno wasn’t sure, but he hoped it got through to Tommy in the end.

After a few seconds of fists beating against his chest, Techno felt himself relax once those same arms snaked around him to grip the back of his clothes. Tommy started trembling, and a small spot on Techno’s chest was noticeably getting damper, but right at this moment, Techno could care less. He won’t say anything, do anything else, just be right here so Tommy wouldn’t go back… back to _that._

It felt like an eternity before Tommy’s shakes died off and his cries turned into sniffles. The blond broke out of Techno’s grasp but didn’t lean far enough away to where Techno’s hooves couldn’t still be on his shoulders. It was hard to tell if Tommy left them there because he wanted the touch or knew that trying to break away again would be even less fruitless than the last attempt.

“Why…” Tommy eventually asked, somewhat emotionless. “Why did you stop me? I was going to bring him back. He was right _there._ I even _saw him-_ ”

Techno grimaced when Tommy’s words cut off with an almost sob, “Tommy, I don’t know if you noticed, but you’re on your last life.”

“So?” Tommy asked, snapped practically. Techno was waiting for him to say something else, but when it became painfully obvious that was Tommy’s only point, something cold and dark twisted in Techno’s chest.

The piglin tried logically objecting, “Well, Wilbur would be really sad if he came back to life only to learn he can’t share it with his younger brother.”

Tommy snorted, and if nothing scared Techno before this moment, _that_ did. What headspace was the kid in to _not_ care about what Wilbur thought of him? Tommy seemed to read the grief on his face and answered, “I mean, I know he would be sad. There’s no way I could make him _not_ sad, but… he would get over it. He would have you and Phil, a cooler brother and his dad, Fundy would get _his_ dad back, Niki would get her _friend_ back, and even if they miss me, Tubbo and Ranboo can just go to Wilbur instead. Lord knows he can actually talk things through without mindlessly screaming…”

Sweet Jesus, this needed fixing, and Techno was not emotionally sober enough to do it himself.

But who else could break through to Tommy? Tubbo would be a good start, but seeing as the brunette kid was still alive and _that alone_ didn’t do much to deter Tommy, then Tommy could be just _that_ far gone-

No, don’t think like that. But seriously? As far as Techno was aware, the rest of the server either wanted him dead, wasn’t close enough to the kid to sway him, or would just need to practically be paid to help, which would be the most counteractive thing to Tommy’s mental health. The only thing Techno could possibly do is get Wilbur back as planned, but everyone that _wanted_ that was only on one life-

Oh. Wait.

He looked down and sighed, mentally smacking himself for being so dumb.

Looking around the area, Techno almost thought he could will an extra life out of thin air. Not really, but his subconscious tried to pull something out of his ass for him to work with. In the end, though, he was smart, and he knew where this was going to have to go if he wanted the best outcome possible.

Techno pinched the bridge of his nose before sighing again. He was actually doing this, wasn’t he?

Having all three lives was overrated anyway.

The piglin stood up and started taking off all his items and setting them down. Tommy watched with growing confusion, and when Techno even dropped his axe of all things, that’s when Tommy jumped up and asked the obvious question, “Techno, what the fuck are you doing?”

Techno placed a hand on Tommy’s shoulder and looked him dead in the eyes, “Help me make a bed, and be sure to protect my stuff while Wilbur comes back.”

\---

Techno briefly wondered if Tommy’s already deposited half-sacrifice (despite liking the word he refused to say ‘blood’ for this specifically) could maybe be used so Techno didn’t have to go through the slow process of giving up his life and respawning.

But as the darkness overtook him and he slumped on Tommy for support, he accepted his fate. He truly wasn’t upset about it, not really, he just always liked being able to outsmart the rules. Alas, he supposed if there was anything he wouldn’t mind giving up to it was this.

**Technoblade was stabbed to death by Technoblade**

That was going to be fun explaining to Phil.

Walking up wasn’t an agonizing process, but it was groggy. Like he was being forced to swim through grody and muddy water. Once he was aware enough to feel the bed behind him, he used one of his hooves to rub his eyes as he sat up. Opening them, he looked around to try and remember which side of the bed the ritual was located.

When he looked to his right, he saw Tommy sitting incredibly close to his tools and items criss-cross-apple-sauce, hunched over (just in general, but Techno didn’t miss the way he was leaning over Techno’s stuff like it was a newborn child just a little bit), and paying extremely close attention to the now glowing bowl in front of him. Getting up shakily, Techno was careful to walk over without collapsing so he could be sat next to the blond.

He placed his hoof on the kid’s shoulder, and Tommy jumped just a little bit before turning around to see that it was just Techno before grasping the limb tightly and looking back. He saw Techno was as okay as could be, made it so he could feel him be okay, and that was enough for him. He could go back to making sure Wilbur ended up the same way.

Techno couldn’t even blame him. As soon as Tommy was looking away, the piglin knelt to be seated just a little bit behind the kid on his left, the pile of tools right in front of him. Strangely enough, Techno wasn’t taking the time to put everything back on just yet.

The two brothers watched as the light got brighter and brighter before reaching an explosive point, causing them to bring the arm they weren’t using in front of their eyes to protect themselves from the blinding white. And then just like that, the light was gone, and they watched the now-empty bowl roll away from under their arms because of the blast. Putting their limbs down, their jaws dropped at what was in its place.

It was human, one that made both Tommy and Techno’s hearts stop.

Wilbur was gently floating, as if he were Snow White on the bed the dwarves made for her, looking as peaceful as ever. That peace was abruptly shattered once he opened his eyes and gasped dramatically, falling straight onto his back and ass, taking only a moment to realize where he was and more importantly, _what_ he was.

The brunette sat up, looking around wildly and cursing under his breath, “Tommy you _didn’t-_ ”

He stopped when he finally noticed his brothers sitting only a few feet away, disbelief displayed on every part of their face. Tommy could feel Techno lift his hoof off of his shoulder and move slightly away, but the blond didn’t particularly care at the moment, “Wilb-”

Soon Tommy learned why Techno moved: to let the oncoming brother missile hit its target without intervention. 

Because as soon as Tommy made a noise and moved his lips, very visibly _breathing_ and _alive,_ Wilbur lept from his spot, shaky legs and knees be damned, to cacoon himself around Tommy and shield himself from the cruel, cold world. Wilbur could feel tears drip down his cheeks as he brought his fingerless-gloved hand to comb through the messy locks of curls on his precious baby brother’s head, “You idiot you _fucking_ idiot oh my god what on _Earth_ made you think I would have been _okay_ with that you fucking _child-_ ”

Meanwhile, Tommy sat there as floppy as rubber yet as tense as a piece of wood at the same time, eyes wide as if he still couldn’t believe what he was seeing. But right when Wilbur put his hand on his head, could feel his big brother’s tears stain his hair, and more importantly, hear the heartbeat in his chest, Tommy found himself doing the same thing he did to Techno just a little bit prior.

His arms came around Wilbur to hold the older man close as he shoved his face into the brown and black shoulder of Wilbur’s coat. He thought he would have been too dehydrated to form any more tears, but if the wetness that soon covered his face was any indication, the day wasn’t done surprising him just yet.

Techno watched as the two clutched at one another, unsure of how to interrupt, or even if he wanted to. They needed to get somewhere safer before nightfall, but even if there was impending doom upon them it still felt rude to make them stop after being apart for so long. He’d let them get all their emotions out before intruding, it was only fair.

Watching them hug it out, it very quickly occurred to Techno that Tommy was still shaking, but he wasn’t crying anymore. The two brothers had split apart, and Wilbur had wiped all the tears off his baby brother’s cheeks without more coming after it. Techno highly doubted Tommy was in any kind of shock or fear, honestly, the kid looked the happiest he had in a while, so that left the blond to be shivering because of the cold.

Techno was swamped in layers, and even if it was inadequate in some way, Wilbur at least _had_ a coat. Tommy came stumbling through the Arctic in it and lived, so the brunette will be fine. Tommy, on the other hand, seemed to be wearing nothing but his usual shirt. Not knowing what else to really do, Techno shucked off his cape and walked over to his pseudo-brothers.

The two of them looked up when the piglin got closer, and before they could even ask, Techno was draping the soft and furry object around Tommy, “Here, for when we travel in the cold.”

Tommy lethargically pulled the cape tighter around himself, both due to confusion and exhaustion. Based on the giant yawn he let out, Techno assumed it was more of the latter than anything else. Wilbur was grinning as he ruffled Tommy’s hair, “Go to sleep, Toms, I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”

At that confession, Tommy slowly fell back into Wilbur’s chest with his eyes closed. Right before he finally nodded off, he muttered out, “Don’t leave me again, Wilby.”

Wilbur tensed for a brief second before noticeably pulling the unconscious Tommy closer to him, “Of course not.” Anything else that needed to be said was left unspoken. Tommy needed to hear those words, but he also needed his sleep desperately. They could wait until after Tommy didn’t look as pale as Ghostbur anymore.

Techno watched as Wilbur attempted to stand with Tommy in his arms. The brunette moved the blond carefully to be laying bridal style, looking almost like a giant sack of potatoes with the way the cape covered everything but his head. It took all of two seconds before Wilbur started struggling and almost fell over before Techno caught him.

The piglin was gentle, “Here, give him to me-”

Wilbur practically jutted back as if Techno threatened to kill Tommy personally, “No, I can’t, I have to carry him, _please,_ it’s the least I can do after everything I’ve done.”

Techno didn’t have the time to argue that last sentence, so all he did was shrug, say, “Okay.” and move to be standing behind Wilbur. Before the musician could ask, he was suddenly also being carried bridal style with Tommy still safe and sound in his arms. Wilbur looked up to see Techno watching where he was going ahead of them, making sure not to smack his brothers into any rock or obstacle.

Wilbur wasn’t expecting this in the slightest. Whether because it seemed out of character, or because Wilbur just underestimated the strength of his brute of a brother, he didn’t know, “Techno, holy shit, you can-”

“Hush, Wilbur, let me do the walking,” Techno interrupted his twin’s panic. He looked down and grinned at Wilbur’s slightly shocked expression, “And you keep holding Tommy and making him feel safe.”

The residue anxiety in Wilbur’s chest vanished as he smiled at Techno, happy to look down at Tommy still in his arms and sleeping a restful sleep. Wilbur brought his hand back up to lay on top of Tommy’s head, keeping it there as he pressed a gentle kiss to his temple, “It’s going to be okay, Tommy. We’ve got your back.”

Somehow, Techno didn’t mind that statement anymore.

Climbing back up to Carl was a little bit of a challenge, but he eventually made it to the familiar steed and carefully set Wilbur down on the back part. Once Wilbur was on there enough to not fall off, Techno left himself to get situated so the ride would be as least bumpy as possible. Right as the piglin was saddled and ready to go, Wilbur found a position he liked best and nodded his head as the signal.

If Techno was the only one who knew that he was being deliberately slow in getting them back home so they didn’t have to deal with the adrenaline of riding a fast horse, then that was also okay with him.

They reached the cabin right as the first mobs were spawning for the night. Techno placed Carl in his pen and picked up Wilbur just like before, shutting the gates with his feet as he walked out. He reached the bottom entrance to his house only to realize a small problem. “Uh, Wilbur, can you open my door for me? My hands are full,” he asked.

Wilbur blinked once before realizing what Techno said and reached down to twist the knob. Once they were inside, Techno repeated his last actions and kicked that door shut as well. He had to readjust his grip on Wilbur when the man nearly jumped out of it at the sight of his mobs. Getting him as quickly out of the room as possible, Techno found climbing out to be much easier than last time and made his way to one of the bedrooms.

Thankfully, this door was left slightly ajar.

Nudging it open, Techno was quick as he walked over to the bed to deposit Wilbur down and bring the sheets up over both of his brothers. As he did so, Wilbur adjusted until he was sitting up only very slightly so Tommy could lay his head in his older brother’s lap, the way the fingers played with his hair keeping his dreams sated and happy.

As Techno walked around the room to double-check everything and blow out all the candles that were still lit, Wilbur yawned and began speaking, “You know, L’Manberg wasn’t my unfinished symphony, now that I’ve had the time to think about it.”

Techno only froze for a split second before continuing with his tasks, letting his brother use him as an ear to talk to, “Really? After everything you did you don’t think it’s that important?”

Techno immediately realized how that could be interpreted, but before he could take it back, Wilbur simply shrugged as if Techno was right but also was too tired to care, “Well, no, L’Manberg was very important to us. It was always a place we used to escape everyone that tried to hurt us. Even when it was the stupid drug van, we could lock the doors and laugh at all the mobs that failed to break in.”

Techno felt sweat drip down his neck, but he was still curious as to where Wilbur was going with this, “Uh-huh, I suppose I get that, but how is it not your grand Unfinished Symphony?”

Wilbur chuckled and looked at Techno with the most blissed-out smile the piglin had seen on him yet, “Because I’m pretty sure Tommy was that, you sodding moron.”

And at that, Techno had to stop completely to face his brother. He was left speechless, so Wilbur just continued explaining what he meant, “You know after he fought Dream and got his discs back I felt something reenergize within me? When he won that battle and the green bitch was carted off to go rot in his cell, I felt a snap within my soul, like a puzzle piece that was missing had come back to complete it. I don’t suppose you’ve seen Ghostbur recently, right?”

Techno blinked, “Uh, no, I haven’t.”

Wilbur took that as his cue to look back down at Tommy, “As soon as Tommy was safe and sound on that bench, I felt complete in a way I hadn’t felt since the revolution. Techno, I- Ghostbur came back to me because Tommy had _won._ Tommy was basically safe from the one bastard who has been against us since the _start._ Finally free to do the things he’s only been able to dream about since we’ve come here and that’s _all I've wanted._ ”

That was a lot to take in, and Techno, being the mastermind of the English language that he was, said, “Wow, that’s pretty cool, Wilbur.”

The brunette yawned once more and started sagging, “Yep, could you believe it. Really came… out of left… field…”

Techno rolled his eyes before walking over and gently pushing Wilbur down to be laying on his back. He only mildly succeeded, seeing as the brunette turned to throw an arm around Tommy and bring the boy to his chest for the last time while he was awake. The next thing Techno knew, both of them were dead to the world, catching up on some much-needed shut-eye. Techno left them alone to finish up what he was doing. He could join them another night. He did have more than one to spend with them now.

As Techno blew out the last few candles to leave his brothers to sleep in peace, he thought over all the years he got to know them. The love, the care, the annoyance, the rage, the heartbreak, and making up afterward all the same. It seemed as if they were destined to stand next to one another even after everything.

_Theseus, Orpheus, two heroes doomed to fail; doomed to fall off their cliffs, both physical and metaphorical..._

_Maybe they have. Maybe they’re already tumbling into that dark abyss below._

_But as long as you got people to catch you, falling seems a little bit more like flying, don’t you think?_

_Welcome home, brothers. This Achilles knows his weakness, and he’s going to protect it no matter what._

**Author's Note:**

> hhhhhhhhhh im not sure how proud of this fic i really am so feel free to validate me if you liked this  
> also i guess if this is received positively enough i could write a continuation? there are some reactions from certain characters that i have ideas about, but i also still need to work on dbmiyd(lttwc) so *shrugs*
> 
> also: hey, hey, hey, karmic, i know youre reading this <3 thank you for the continued support throughout the writing of this 19 page monster that got twice as long as i originally thought it would lmaoooo
> 
> i dont have a beta this time so if anything particularly grammar worthy or a whole word is wrong pls let me know!
> 
> If you wish to scream at me here's my [tumblr](https://halorocks1214.tumblr.com/)


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